Chapter 2: The Call They Never Expected
The phone was so close.
Close enough that I could see the reflection of the moon on its cracked screen.
But close enough was not the same as having it.
My fingers trembled as I reached again, pushing against the dirt that trapped me.
The ground shifted.
A small wave of soil slid down against my chest.
I froze.
Not because I was afraid of the dirt.
Because I was afraid of making noise.
If they came back and found me holding the phone, I knew they wouldn’t give me another chance.
I had one opportunity.
One.
I stretched my fingers again.
And this time, I touched the edge.
The phone moved slightly.
“Come on,” I whispered.
My voice sounded strange in the darkness.
Weak.
Broken.
But alive.
I hooked one finger around the corner of the phone and slowly dragged it closer.
Every inch felt like a victory.
Every second felt like a battle.
Finally, the phone reached my hand.
I grabbed it tightly.
The screen lit up.
No signal.
My heart sank.
“No…”
I shook the phone as if that would somehow change reality.
The battery was at 12%.
The screen was cracked.
My hands were covered in dirt.
But it was still my phone.
It was still a chance.
I looked toward the road.
Nothing.
The woods were silent.
I opened the emergency call screen.
My fingers hovered.
Who could I call?
Who would believe me?
Then one name appeared in my mind.
My older sister, Rachel.
The one person who had never judged me.
The one person who always told me, “If the whole world turns against you, call me first.””
I pressed her number.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
My heart pounded.
“Please answer…”
On the fifth ring, someone picked up.
“Emily?””
The moment I heard her voice, tears filled my eyes.
“Rachel…”
Silence.
Then panic.
“What happened? Why are you whispering?””
I looked around.
“I need you to listen to me.””
My voice shook.
“I’m outside. I’m trapped.””
“What do you mean trapped?””
I closed my eyes.
Because saying it out loud made it real.
“My husband buried me.””
The line went silent.
Then Rachel’s voice changed.
“What?””
“Ryan’s family… they think I cheated. They think the baby isn’t his.””
“Emily, where are you?””
“I don’t know.””
I looked around.
“There are trees. A dirt road. I don’t know.””
Rachel started breathing faster.
“Are you hurt?””
“My forehead is bleeding.””
“Oh my God.””
“But the baby is okay,” I whispered.
I placed my hand over my stomach.
“I think.””
Rachel’s voice became firm.
“Listen to me. Do not hang up.””
“I won’t.””
“I’m calling emergency services right now.””
“No.””
The fear came back instantly.
“What if they hear?””
“Emily—”
“They said they’re coming back.””
There was a pause.
Then Rachel spoke quietly.
“Who said that?””
I swallowed.
“Ryan.””
Even saying his name hurt.
My own husband.
The person I never imagined I would fear.
Rachel’s voice broke.
“Stay with me.””
“I’m trying.””
“No, you’re going to stay alive.””
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because I needed to hear someone say it.
“I’m scared.””
“I know.””
“I don’t understand how he could do this.””
Rachel didn’t answer immediately.
When she finally spoke, her voice was softer.
“Because sometimes people show you who they are when they think nobody will stop them.””
I looked at the dark road.
At the place where my husband disappeared.
I wanted to hate him.
But a part of me still waited for him to come back and apologize.
That was the worst part.
Love doesn’t disappear just because someone hurts you.
Sometimes it stays there.
Even when you wish it wouldn’t.
Twenty minutes passed.
Or maybe an hour.
Time felt different when you were buried alive.
Rachel stayed on the phone.
She kept talking.
Anything to keep me awake.
“Remember when we were kids and you broke Mom’s favorite vase?””
A small smile appeared on my face.
“You blamed the cat.””
“The cat looked guilty.””
“There wasn’t even a cat.””
“I know.””
For a moment, I felt human again.
Not a victim.
Not someone trapped in the dirt.
Just Emily.
My sister laughed softly.
Then suddenly, she stopped.
“What?””
“What happened?””
“I heard something.””
My entire body froze.
“What did you hear?””
A sound came from somewhere beyond the trees.
A vehicle.
Slowly approaching.
My breathing stopped.
“Rachel…”
“Emily, listen to me. Do not panic.””
The headlights appeared in the distance.
Someone was coming back.
But it was too soon.
They weren’t supposed to return yet.
I held the phone closer.
“I think they’re here.””
Rachel’s voice became urgent.
“Emily, stay on the line.””
The vehicle stopped.
A door opened.
Footsteps.
Coming closer.
My heart was beating so loudly I thought they could hear it.
Then a voice called out from the darkness.
But it wasn’t Ryan.
It wasn’t Thomas.
It wasn’t Margaret.
It was a voice I had never heard before.
“Hello?””
I didn’t answer.
The footsteps moved closer.
“Is someone out here?””
I looked at the phone.
At the dark figure approaching.
And then I realized something terrifying.
The person walking toward me was not someone who came to hurt me.
But they were standing beside the one thing that could prove everything.
The shovel.
May you like
And when they lifted it from the ground, they whispered a name that made my blood run cold.
“Ryan Carter…”
